Despising the Pleasant Land

When something is immeasurably great and glorious to a person, he will make every effort to obtain it. However, the people of Israel despised the land that flowed with milk and honey and whose grape clusters were so unbelievably large that two men had to carry one cluster between them on a pole! In Luther’s translation it says rejected instead of despised.

In their eyes this wonderful land was not worth such a great effort! They wished they had already died (verse 2) so they would not have to conquer this land.

Now it is of vital importance to be able to transpose this state of affairs correctly to the “land” that we are called to conquer. For us in these days this land means the life of Christ in us and the ministry in the church according to the laws of life in the Spirit. This means the exceedingly glorious life and fellowship in Christ and in the church.

Paul speaks about this “land” when he says, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Rom. 8:37. And in Romans 12:21: “But overcome evil with good.” “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” Rom. 16:20. “Love . . . bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Cor. 13:7. “Do not sin . . . .” 1 Cor. 15:34. “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ . . . .” 2 Cor. 2:14. “But we all . . . are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory . . . .” 2 Cor. 3:18. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . . . .” 2 Cor. 4:17. “But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God . . . ,” etc., etc. 2 Cor. 6:4. “Perfecting holiness [sanctification] in the fear of God.” 2 Cor. 7:1. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” 2 Cor. 9:8.

It is completely superfluous to list more of all that has been said in the new covenant; it is completely superfluous to add more descriptions of this “land’s” milk, honey, grape clusters, etc. What a land! What a life! What fellowship!

Think to despise such a land, such a life! Think to ruin and reject and do without such glory out of pure unbelief and an unwillingness to sacrifice everything in order to partake of it!!!

Yes, indeed! One despises God and the pleasant land which He in His goodness has offered us.

You must not do this too, my dear friend.